Finance ministry will assist the aviation and tourism industries due to the Omicron spread

The Ministry of Finance is expected to announce in the coming days assistance to the aviation and tourism industries in Israel, in light of the fear that these industries will suffer another severe blow in the coming months due to the spread of the new Corona strain, Omicron, and additional restrictions on flights. On Sunday, the Ministry of Finance decided that there is no escape from assistance to these two industries, which have been affected more than any other industry in the economy since the Corona crisis began in March 2020. However, it is now clear that further heavy damage is expected to these industries.
According to a preliminary estimate, the assistance will amount to hundreds of millions of shekels - up to one hundred million dollars, for all parties together, but it is still unclear whether it will only be assistance with grants or low-interest loans.
Following the discussion in the government today, which criticized, among other things, that there are currently no assistants to the aviation and tourism industries, a senior source in the Ministry of Finance told Ynet that even without this criticism, the Ministry of Finance plans to prevent serious damage to various tourism and airlines. Also in the future.
Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz commented on the decision to update the list of red countries daily and said: "Although we understand that a warning should be given, anyone planning to travel abroad at this time should know that on his return he can enter full isolation. "Those who buy tickets should know that there is a situation in which the country will be declared a red country."
At the hearing, Transport Minister Merav Michaeli said: "It is legitimate to sacrifice the tourism industry, but we need compensation." Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman provided a controversial statement about guides: "The problem is the small hotels that were based on inbound tourism. There you have to check balances. Regarding travel agents and guides you have to say: start changing professions. From 4.5 million tourists we went down to 200,000 and that "Even when you look at the forecasts. A significant number of the guides have already changed field."
Guides' organizations said in response: "This is a detached and opaque government, which does not see tens of thousands of citizens without any income. A government that does not understand that it is what caused it. We are law-abiding citizens who love the country and serve as its ambassadors. behind".
So far the Ministry of Finance has not officially reported to the airlines and tourism the intention to assist them, and later this week the heads of the Ministry of Finance are expected to discuss with senior figures in these industries to find out how much assistance they need.
Until recently, senior officials in the Ministry of Finance said that no further real damage had been done to the aviation and tourism industries, but now it seems that such damage will be done within days.